(a) The superintendent shall establish within the West
Virginia State Police a cadet selection board which shall be
representative of commissioned and noncommissioned officers within
the State Police.

(b) The superintendent shall appoint a member to the position
of trooper from among the top three names on the current list of
eligible applicants established by the cadet selection board.

(c) Preference in making appointments shall be given whenever
possible to honorably discharged members of the armed forces of the
United States and to residents of West Virginia. Each applicant
for appointment shall be a person not less than twenty-one years of
age nor more than thirty-nine years of age, of sound constitution
and good moral character and is required to pass any mental and
physical examination and meet other requirements as provided in
rules promulgated by the cadet selection board: Provided, That a
former member may, at the discretion of the superintendent, be
reenlisted.

(d) No person may be barred from becoming a member of the
State Police because of his or her religious or political
convictions.

(e) The superintendent shall adhere to the principles of equal employment opportunity set forth in article eleven, chapter five of
this code and shall take positive steps to encourage applications
for State Police membership from females and minority groups within
the state. An annual report shall be filed with the Legislature on
or before January 1 of each year by the superintendent which
includes a summary of the efforts and the effectiveness of those
efforts intended to recruit females, African-Americans and other
minorities into the ranks of the State Police.

(f) Except for the superintendent, no person may be appointed
or enlisted to membership in the State Police at a grade or rank
above the grade of trooper.

(g) The superintendent shall appoint civilian employees as are
necessary and all employees may be included in the classified
service of the civil service system except those in positions
exempt under the provisions of article six, chapter twenty-nine of
this code.

(h) Effective July 1, 2001, through June 30, 2014, civilian
employees with a minimum of five years' service shall receive a
salary increase equal to $100 a year for each year of service as a
civilian employee. Every three years thereafter, civilian
employees who have five or more years of service shall receive an
annual salary increase of $300. The increases in salary provided
by this subsection are in addition to any other increases to which
the civilian employees might otherwise be entitled. After June 30, 2014, the provisions of this subsection are not operative.

(i) After June 30, 2014, West Virginia State Police civilian
employees with a minimum of one year service shall receive an
annual longevity salary increase equal to $500. The increases in
salary provided by this subsection are in addition to any other
increases to which the civilian employees might otherwise be
entitled.

(j) Effective July 1, 2014, all current West Virginia State
Police Forensic Laboratory analysts, directors and evidence
technicians shall receive a one-time, across-the-board salary
increase equal to twenty percent of their current salary.

(k) On or before January 1, 2018, the Director of the West
Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory shall submit a report to
the Joint Committee on Government and Finance detailing the West
Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory's ability to retain
employees.
Note: WV Code updated with legislation passed through the 2014 1st Special Session
The WV Code Online is an unofficial copy of the annotated WV Code, provided as a convenience. It has NOT been edited for publication, and is not in any way official or authoritative.